It’s TGIF day, although it doesn’t really make a difference for me, except that, barring a Friday dump, it’s often harder to find good material on the weekend. I’m current with replies. Tomorrow appears routine.
Jug Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:28 (average 5:23). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From CBC: Dozens of employees at Canada’s largest bank are losing their jobs to temporary foreign workers, who are in Canada to take over the work of their department.
“They are being brought in from India, and I am wondering how they got work visas,” said Dave Moreau, one of the employees affected by the move. “The new people are in our offices and we are training them to do our jobs. That adds insult to injury.”
Poor Canada! Looks like Harper gave you a case of Republicitis! Guest workers should be brought in to do the jobs that citizens don’t want, not to undercut citizens for the ones they do want!
From Washington Post: Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has said his daughter and her husband paid for their own wedding. So a $15,000 check from a major campaign donor to pay for the food at the affair was a gift to the bride and groom and not to him and therefore did not have to be publicly disclosed under the law, the governor says.
But documents obtained by The Washington Post show that McDonnell signed the catering contract, making him financially responsible for the 2011 event. The governor made handwritten notes to the caterer in the margins. In addition, the governor paid nearly $8,000 in deposits for the catering.
Why is it that Republicans, like Governor Ultrasound, are so forceful in trying to make others obey their pseudo-Christian morality, when they ignore it themselves?
From Tamara: The K Street 5K
If I were not 3,000 miles away and both physically and financially unable to attend, I’d go, but I’d want to wear at least a $20. 😉 Can you be in DC tomorrow?
Cartoon:
God, may we have him back, please?
8 Responses to “Open Thread–4/12/2013”
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3:48 I'm drowin' here!
4:06 I am already dead in the water! But I did do it again at 3:25. This is definitely one we have done before.
4:07 The time ran out on me.
"Why is it that Republicans, like Governor Ultrasound, are so forceful in trying to make others obey their pseudo-Christian morality, when they ignore it themselves?" Either they are sociopaths or dyed in the wool hypocrites – 'cos they just keep on doing it, again and again and again and again….
Even though I wasn't born when FDR passed, I can still recall the indelible, iconic image from Life magazine of Navy Chief Petty Officer Graham Jackson playing "Goin' Home" on his accordion, with tears streaming down his face.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8928898/America-in-Pictures-the-Story-of-Life-magazine-BBC-Four-review.html
Though I've lost practically all my hearing, I can still recall the tune and words to "Goin' Home" – as it was based on the largo from from Dvorak's "New World Symphony".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FMUttpSllY
GOIN' HOME
Goin' home, goin' home, I'm a goin' home;
Quiet-like, some still day, I'm jes' goin' home.
It's not far, jes' close by,
Through an open door;
Work all done, care laid by,
Goin' to fear no more.
Mother's there 'spectin' me,
Father's waitin' too;
Lots o' folk gather'd there,
All the friends I knew,
All the friends I knew.
Home, I'm goin' home!
Nothin lost, all's gain,
No more fret nor pain,
No more stumblin' on the way,
No more longin' for the day,
Going to roam no more!
Mornin' star lights the way,
Res'less dream all done;
Shadows gone, break o' day,
Real life jes' begun.
Dere's no break, ain't no end,
Jes' a livin' on;
Wide awake, with a smile
Goin' on and on.
Goin' home, goin' home, I'm jes' goin' home,
It's not far, jes' close by
Through an open door.
I'm a goin' home,
I'm jes' goin'
Goin' home, goin' home, goin' home, goin' home, goin' home, goin' home!
Puzzle — 4:06 I am already dead in the water! But I did do it again at 3:25.
CBC — The RBC is one of the most arrogant of the Canadian banks. What you are seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. Other banks are doing it too. HSBC Bank Canada sends people to other locations, but also brings foreign workers in, often in the IT sector as temporary foreign workers. Not only that, they have outsourced jobs from Canada to the US, and then outsourced again those same jobs to India. For example, when I was still working at HSBC, if I had a question for payroll, I called the US who had no clue about Canadian payroll or laws. Then that was moved to India. It should also be noted that some BC unions are talking about pulling several billion dollars of pension monies out of RBC. Here is a video interview with Jim Sinclair, President of the BC Federation of Labour, which represents almost half a million BC workers. http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/BC/ID/2376399708/
In BC, there is a kerfuffle with a northern mining company who has advertised for mine employees who must speak Mandarin thereby allowing 200 temporary Chinese workers. When questioned, the mine management said there were no Canadian workers with the skills required. Translation: There were no Canadian workers willing to work in substandard conditions for minimum wage.
And yet Harper and his harlots are sanctioning this travesty.
RBC claims:
And I say bull shit!!!!! It does reduce costs because foreign workers are paid less, at least 15% less plus there are no pension requirements etc.
And here is some backpedalling from RBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/04/11/rbc-foreign-workers-apology.html
Harper and his harlots got caught and are now trying to do damage control. 2015 can't come soon enough for Canadians. Harper's sticky little fingers are all over so many "unCanadian" things. Let's hope that Canadians don't forget! I know I won't.
Sorry about the rant, but then you probably expected it!
Washington Post — I'd like to do an invasive ultrasound of his head to see if he has any brains. We know already that he has a warped moral compass and no ethics!
Tamara — Very cool, creative and oh so needed! But, question . . . These guys are wearing $100 (Ben Franklins) bills. Why settle for a $20 suit?
Cartoon — "God, may we have him back, please?" Amen!!! There needs to be a revival of the original New Deal, updated for the 21st century. There need to be leaders with the guts to do what is right by the people, and not screw the people.
Ye Gods and little fishes. I thought we, in Australia, had some corrupt activities, Canada and the U S A, This is one area that you have left us flioundering in your wake, But wait… It is nearly an odds on certainty we will vote out the blundering Labour Party to install the Liberals who are not liberal. with an agenda that would make the Koch Brothers and the Tea Party envious. So as our swimmers of the long distant past used to do, move over or drown in our wake.
Thirty years ago, we had six small manufacturers in this rural area, they provided some fairly good jobs. Now we have none. NAFTA killed most of them, outsourcing the rest. I still remember when American Standard sent local employees to Mexico to train people to do the jobs they were doing, knowing their jobs were gone as soon as they finished training. I won't buy an American Standard product anymore.